Phantom Knight

By: Black Cat Angel

Chapter 1: Opening Setting; Amity Park

Twelve and a half hours was how long the flight took from her home.

Twelve and a half hours to do nothing as she waited for the flight to end.

Twelve and a half hours of keeping to herself and wonder what her life would be like living abroad.

Fourteen-year-old Koji Minamoto had half a day to remember the good times with her brother and her friends whose living in Shibuya.

Her father had gotten a job offer becoming a vice president of Axion Laboratory. Her father's old friend, who is the president, wanted to hire him as his co-president. Kousei Minamoto practically jumped at the offer. His wife, Satomi, congratulated him. Koji, his only daughter, didn't have the heart to say how upset she is, instead she gave him an encouraging smile and say "I'm proud of you, Dad." The next thing she knew her things were packed and she was already on her way to her new home. It wasn't easy saying goodbye to her friends who she come to grow fond of, but separating from her twin brother breaks her heartstrings even more. She doesn't want to separate with Koichi. She just reunite with him and two years wasn't enough. She wonders if she ever get to see him again.

"Koji; wake up, sweetheart, we've arrived at our new home", she hears her father's familiar Japanese voice, jolting her from her slumber. Oh yeah, she forgot she and her folks were in the car heading straight to their new house. She opens her sapphire eyes to see a three story grayish brick house with velvet rooftop tiles. The short stairway was clean cement with swerve iron railings. A bay window was perched on the east wing on the first floor. The door was dark gray with a platinum knocker; a small roof was over it.

The Minamoto family steps out of their rental car. "She is a beauty, isn't she?" her father asks in admiration. Koji believes it was more of a rhetorical question than an upfront one. Her father's choice of clothing consist of casual grey T-shirt and blue jeans and sneakers. He stepmother wears a simple light blue sundress with white flowers imprinted on the bottom and black flat sandals. As for Koji, hers is a blue sports jacket over a white tank top, blue cargo pants, a blue camouflage bandana over her black hair which was tied in a ponytail, and white and blue sneakers. The setting hue radiates the girl's hair color giving off a blue color.

"If I didn't know any better I say you were in love with our house, Kousei", her stepmother teasingly gesture.

Kousei wrapped his arm around Satomi's waist. "What are talking about? You were heads over heel in love with it as soon as you saw the picture. And for your information, your beauty stands out more than a five million dollar mansion." He tenderly kisses her neck.

"Kousei, not outside!" She harshly whispers, yet she giggles girlishly. "What if someone sees us?"

"It's natural for a married couple to cuddle", Kousei retorts.
Koji rolls her eyes and looks at her nails as though they suddenly became more interesting to examine. "Can you do that in your room? Better yet, when I'm not around?"

Kousei looks at his teenage daughter. "Now Koji, one day you're going to get married and be just as happy as we are."

His said daughter raises an eyebrow. "You want me to get married? You do know it requires a dedicated relationship, right?"

"Of course I knew that... you can only date if your fifty years old."

Satomi slapped his shoulder. "Kousei!"

He raises both hands defensively. "What? I'm just saying it'll be a cold day in Hell if I ever let a boy date my baby girl!" He shrinks after hearing his wife yell his name for letting out a curse. "All right. Forty years old is my final offer! No take backs!"

"Don't worry, Dad", Koji reassures him, "if it makes you feel better, I'm not interested in dating. It's too dramatic." She went to the car and pulls out her luggage and gym bag. She manages to grab hold onto her things until she struggles to carry her box which has her closest things.

"That's the spirit!" Kousei cheers, "who needs boys when you can come to Daddy!"

"Kousei!"

"What? I'm just saying..."

Koji smirks at their childish banter. Honestly, what's so great about a relationship? It's nothing but trouble if it goes downhill. She looks down in thought. How long is she going to deny herself? Lost in her thoughts, Koji steps up the stairs as she avoids her parents mild talking. Suddenly, she slips her footing and loses her balance. She stumbles backwards; she couldn't stop herself; everything was going too fast! She closes her eyes as she waits for the upcoming pain.

As soon as she lands, her landing wasn't painful. It was actually... softer than she imagine. A groan catches her attention. She turns her head to see a boy around her age with black raven hair. He was pale-skinned. He wore a white T-shirt with a red logo design, light blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. He groans in pain as he opens one of his eyes. Koji notices his eyes were blue. Compare to hers, his eyes were much lighter.

"Can you please get off me", the boy groaned; his tone and American accent, "you're not as light as you look."

The Minamoto daughter narrows her eyes. She was in the English language and passed it with flying colors, so she understands every word of it. Hearing that statement, she decides to make a list of people to NOT get along with. Starting with whatever this guy's name.

"Danny! Are you okay?" A woman in a teal jumpsuit with short orange hair and blue eyes runs up to them. Danny? So that's her living cushion's name.

Koji stands up and bows to Danny. "Gomen'nasai", she apologizes and presents her hand out. Danny grabs onto her hand as she easily pulls him up.

The raven-haired boy rubs his neck. "Uhh...? It's no problem... I think."

"She said she was sorry in Japanese, Daniel", Kousei intervenes in his American tone, "Koji, I know you can speak English. Be nice to our new neighbors."

Koji nods and bows again to Danny. "I'm sorry for not speaking in the right tongue and for falling on top of you", she speaks in her American accent that catches Danny off guard by her soft voice. She spoke as if it was a natural language to her.

Danny composes himself and says, "Like I said, it's no problem."

"Isn't this great!" Koji looks at a large man in an orange jumpsuit with black gloves and boots. His short suave hair was black with a white stripe in the middle. "Now I have more people to blabber about ghost!" He laughs joyously.

Kousei and Satomi tilt their heads in confusion. "Ghosts?" they asks in unison.

A teenage girl with long orange hair pops up in front of the Minamotos. "No, no! They didn't say ghosts! They said... uh... umm..."

"I wouldn't mind listening about the paranormal", Satomi tells them, "wouldn't we, dear?"

Kousei shrugs. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"You hear that, Maddie!" the large man exclaims, "we made friends!"

"And they're interested, Jack!" Maddie cheers. They jump up and down like happy children.

"I'm their daughter, Jasmine Fenton", the teenage girl whispers to the Minamotos, "are you sure you're making the right decision? I mean, come on, ghosts don't exist."

"Jasmine, the world is full of mysteries all around us", Mr. Minamoto theorizes, "nowadays there's no such thing as "normal"."

"You can call me Jazz, Mr. and Mrs. Minamoto; I don't mind. I'm just giving you a heads up. My dad gets carry away by ghosts. He has a small obsession with them."

Jack Fenton appeared out of no where and wraps his arm around Kousei's shoulders. "You, my friend, are entering a world full of ghost hunting! Just recently, me and Maddie finished constructing a portal to enter into the vast world of ghosts!"

Koji's father becomes intrigue. "A ghost portal? Does it work?"

Realizing his prized project had failed, Mr Fenton slumps forward. Maddie decides to answer on his behalf. "Well", she begins, "we follow every procedure in our blueprints, but it never turns on. Later today we're going to double check our work. Isn't that right, honey?"

As soon as Maddie lays her hand on her husband's arm, Jack Fenton was back to his energetic self. "That's right, Maddie! We'll recheck that portal and we'll get it to work or my name isn't Jack Fenton!"

"That's right, baby!" The adults of both Fentons and Minamotos laughed together as if they know each other their whole life.

The youngest Fenton gulps his dried throat. He feels his arm growing cold. He looks at it and gasps. An added gasp was heard. He pushes his arm behind him and glances at his new neighbor's eyes widen in shock.

"Did your arm just...?" Koji wearily asks.

"Did my arm what?" Danny asks with a bead of sweat dripping on on his spores.

Koji immediately grabs Danny's arm to view its... pale-skinned arm. She narrows her eyes. That's weird. She could've sworn...

"Umm... can I have my arm back?" Danny asks nervously. "I need it to write and stuff."

Keeping her poker face intact, Koji scoffs, "Whatever", and release his wrist. The raven-haired boy rubs his wrist. He was impressed of how strong a grip she has.

"Come on, Danny! Time to go home!" Mrs. Fenton calls her only son.

"You can see your new friend in school tomorrow", Danny's sister adds.

"Yeah..." he retorts sarcastically and runs to his family who were walking across the street to their apartment building with the oversized family name looming overhead.

"Well", Satomi claps for their attention, "work may look done but we still have a lot of packing to do!" She went into the house with the new house keys.

"I'm right behind you!" Kousei proclaimed, chasing after her.

The only one outside was none other than Koji who hasn't move an inch off her spot since she let her neighbor's arm go. She knew she didn't imagine it. It may have been a long day for her, especially going through thirteen hours of air travel and an extra fourteen minutes in a car ride, but she's not crazy! She was fully awake.

How can nobody notice Danny's arm disappeared in public?

End of Chapter 1